How to handle your fear of flying

About 18 per cent of us are (sometimes secretly) scared of air travel. But the chance of dying in a plane crash is less than being struck by lightning. Still shaking? Learn to take control of aerophobia

1. Learn the basics aboutpassenger jets
Understanding some of the tech on a modern plane will help lower the anxiety level. That’s smoke coming from the cabin ceiling, right? Nope, it’s just cold air from the air conditioner. Do the flickering lights mean an impending electrical failure? No, it’s just a switchover to another power supply. And by the way, most passenger aircraft can glide up to 300 miles without a single working engine.

2. Prepare yourself
Get a good night’s sleep, eat properly and drink plenty of water in the 24 hours before you fly. Do everything you can to minimize stress beforehand. This will make a huge difference in reducing your anxiety when you’re on the plane.

3. Choose your seat
Seats at the front of the plane experience less turbulence; the middle seats don’t feel so much tilting during inflight manoeuvres. You’ll feel the worst effects of turbulence if you’re sitting right at the back of the aircraft, but some experts say it’s also the safest part of the plane in the event of a crash (which, just to reiterate, is highly unlikely to happen).

4. Booze and you lose
A lot of alcohol will not steady your nerves, it’ll just make you nervous. Movies, music and civilized conversation are the best ways to stay calm.

5. If you panic, don’t panic
Palpitations? Hyperventilation? You may be having a panic attack caused by a huge surge in adrenalin. This is the hormone for fight or flight situations. But you’re already on a flight, and there’s no one to fight, except your own fear. You may feel like you’re having a heart attack, but you’re not.